If you’re having trouble achieving a calm and quiet mind during the creative process, consider these eight great ways to achieve peace as you write.

• Breathe deep and long. Visualize your chores and worries spilling out as you expel each breath.

• Close your eyes and place yourself in a spot that is peaceful – an empty windswept beach or a frozen lake.

• Step outside and take in the scenery. Writers are often solitary creatures who take refuge in the familiar anonymity of their offices. No matter the time of day or the weather conditions, take 10-15 minutes to experience the outdoors.

• Listen to music as you write. Consider classical pieces by Mozart or Debussy or the soothing Gregorian chants of the Renaissance era.

• Resolve that your writing will not be perfect today. Silence your inner critic with constant reminders that no one thing is perfect.

• Turn off and tuck away all of your modern devices – cell phones, iPads, Kindles.

• Write the old-fashioned way – with a pad of paper and sharpened pencil. Watch the words slip from the lead and fill the page. Doodle as you wait for your ideas to come to you.

• Dim the lights and write by candlelight for an ambiance of peace and serenity.